Bihar liquor tragedy toll rises to 26

December 10, 2012 - 12:00:00 am

Patna: The death toll in a hooch tragedy in Bihar has risen to 26 with eight more people losing their lives, police said yesterday. “Eight more people have died since Saturday after consuming spurious liquor,” a police official said.

The tragedy occurred Thursday night in Anitha village in Bhojpur district, some 60km from here, where villagers complained of stomach pain and threw up after consuming locally made liquor.

Nine people, including four woman, died Thursday, three Friday and six Saturday, police said. Bhojpur Superintendent of Police M R Nayak said over two dozen people had been arrested in this connection. “More arrests are likely,” he said.

District Magistrate Pratima S Verma said a six-member committee had been set up to probe the incident. The deaths sparked widespread protests in Bhojpur. Hundreds of students blocked roads Sunday while BJP legislator Amrendra Pratap blamed the state government for the incident.

JD-U MP resigns from Upper House, party

Patna: Upendra Kushwaha, a member of parliament of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), yesterday announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and the party, terming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a “dictator”. “Finally, I announce my resignation as JD-U Rajya Sabha member and from the primary membership of the party,” he said at a function of his outfit Bihar Nav Nirman Morcha here.

Accusing Nitish Kumar of becoming a dictator and controlling both the party as well as the government, Kushwaha said there was no inner democracy. He also hinted at forming a new political party soon. Kushwaha, a leader from Koeri community, had closely worked with Nitish Kumar to oust Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal from power in Bihar in 2005. But later he developed differences with Nitish Kumar and declared open war against the chief minister.

Assam situation under control, says Gogoi

Kolkata: Claiming the situation in riot-hit areas of Assam was “under control”, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday said those who had fled to West Bengal were now returning.

“There is no influx of people (to West Bengal)... All are returning (to Assam),” Gogoi told the media on the sidelines of Pan IIT global meet here. On reports that some people from Assam were residing in northern Bengal following violence in his state, Gogoi said: “I don’t know if anybody is staying in north Bengal. They are coming back now.”

Three Bodoland districts - Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri - earlier this year witnessed violence between ethnic Bodos and Muslims, leaving over 100 people dead and over 400,000 homeless.IANS